THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday said it will begin its latest census of farmers and fisherfolk on Sept. 4.
In a briefing, the PSA said the Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) will run until Oct. 25.
The census is typically conducted every 10 years, though the upcoming CAF is officially the 2022 edition because of disruptions to the PSA’s data collection workflow.
“The data we gather to this census will empower policy makers, researchers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions that can foster growth, enhanced productivity and ensure the well-being of those who toil tirelessly to put food on our tables,” PSA Deputy National Statistician for Sectoral Statistics Divina Gracia L. Del Prado.
CAF will include an inventory of agricultural and fishery resources, basic information on crops planted, an inventory of livestock and poultry, and a survey of species cultured in aquafarms.
It will also seek to determine the distribution of agricultural land and aquaculture operations.
Expected participants in the 2022 CAF include farm and fishery operators, households, businesses, institutions, government-owned and -controlled corporations, National Government agencies, local government units, and international organizations.
The respondents will be surveyed via computer-assisted personal interviews and self-administered questionnaires.
“The main objective is to get a picture of agri and fishery in the country… we want to show the characteristics of agriculture in the country,” PSA Deputy National Statistician for Censuses and Technical Coordination Minerva Eloisa P. Esquivias said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera